Missouri Inauguration

Closing Prayer

January 12, 2009
Rabbi Susan Talve

One of my favorite stories is about a righteous person who served so justly and so humbly that God wanted to grant him a wish. “I would like to see heaven and hell,” he said. “Ok,” said God, “which would you like to see first?” “Show me hell.”

So the righteous person was transported right to hell. “I don’t understand,” he said. “I see an amazing table filled with the finest feast any one could imagine, a feast that could satisfy all hungers-- spiritual and physical. Why is this hell?” the righteous individual asked. “Look closer,” God said. He looked and saw that the hands and arms of the people sitting around the table were so knarled and twisted there was no way they could feed themselves. There was no way they would ever be able to reach what they needed even though it was right in front of them and there was enough for all; they would never be satisfied so they suffered.

“How awful this hell is, please take me to heaven.” In the blink of an eye, the righteous one is transported to heaven and he says, “I don’t understand. It’s the same table filled with the same feast. I see the same people with the same knarled and twisted hands unable to feed themselves. “Look closer," God says. The righteous one looks closer and sees that although heaven and hell appear to be the same, in heaven the people have made long spoons that make it possible for them to feed each other. So every one in heaven is able to receive what they need.

Today we ask for blessings on these men and women who have been called by their friends and neighbors across our state to serve and make really long spoons. Spoons long enough to deliver adequate health care and housing and jobs and quality education to the rural towns and villages, to the suburban and the urban areas and to the ranchers and the farmers who fill the table for us, We are asking you to make enough spoons to feed and nourish every one of us old and young, rich and poor regardless of race or faith or sexual orientation, enough spoons that not one in our state is left out. And if they tell you we can’t afford to reach every single one you will tell them that we cannot afford not to; that until there is enough for all, there is not enough.

So we ask for blessings in this most challenging of times, when so many of our citizens find that what they need is out of reach, when so many need a little longer spoon to provide for themselves and their loved ones. We ask for blessings and we pray for our new Governor, our Senators, our Representatives and all of our elected and appointed officials that they will be able to work together, across the aisle and across our great state, to help us find the ways and create the legislation that will help us, especially when we can’t feed ourselves, to feed each other, to work together and to dare to believe that our leaders, who we pray for and bless today, our new governor and all who will work with him with our help, will help us all here in Missouri and across this nation by our example, experience a new day in Missouri and a little taste of heaven right here on earth.

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